Conveyer for flexible material



March 12, 1968 c. M. LOVENDUSKY CONVEYER FOR FLEXIBLE MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fiid Feb. 23, 1965 March 12, 1968 C. M. LOVENDUSKY CONVEYER FOR FLEXIBLE MATERIAL 4 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb 23, 1965 March 12, 1968 c. M. LOVENDUSKY CONVEYER FOR FLEXIBLE MATERIAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 23, 1965 United States Patent 3,372,815 CONVEYER FOR FLEXIBLE MATERIAL Charles Michael Lovendusky, Enola, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Continuation of application Ser. No. 248,111, Dec. 28, 1962. This application Feb. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 434,534 4 Claims. (Cl. 214-6) This application is a continuation of my now abandoned application, Ser. No. 248,111, filed Dec. 28, 1962, for Conveyer for Flexible Material.

This invention relates to conveyers for individual lengths of limp material such as individual lengths of wire.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved conveyer for individual lengths of wire or similar material. A further object is to provide a conveyer for Wire or similar material having improved means for releasing the individual lengths at a predetermined station. A still further object is to provide a conveyer for individual lengths of Wire which releases and neatly stacks or arranges the individual lengths at a release station.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved in a preferred embodiment comprising a chain-type conveyer having spaced-apart wire gripping devices on its outside edge which is movable along a closed circuit ina nonhorizontal plane. A pick-up or loading station is provided at which the individual lengths of wire are loaded onto the gripping devices of, the conveyer and a release station is provided at a point downstream from the pick-up station. The loading station and at least a portion of the path extending downstream from the loading station is elevated above the horizontal surface on which the conveyer is mounted so that the individual lengths held in the conveyer dangle under the influence of their own weight. A portion of the paths of the conveyor upstream from, and leading to, the release station is descending and the release station itself is advantageously located relatively close to the floor or other surface on which the conveyer is mounted. The dangling ends of the individual lengths are thus progressively laid out on the surface as they approach the release station so that when the individual lengths are released, at the release station, they will be arranged in a neat and tidy bundle and in substantial parallelism with each other.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the principles of the invention as used in conjunction with an electrical lead making machine;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing a conveyer in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view showing the wire pick-up station of the conveyer and illustrating the manner in which the individual lengths of wire are loaded onto the conveyer at the loading station;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of FIGURE 2 and illustrating the manner in which the individual lengths of material or wire are held in the conveyer;

FIGURE 5 is an exploded view showing the individual chains which form the conveyer assembly; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a short section of the conveyer chain.

FIGURE 1 illustrates the principles of the instant invention and the manner in which it can be employed in conjunction with a lead making machine of the type fully disclosed in the co-pending application of Robert A. Long and Charles M. Lovendusky, Ser. No. 236,090, filed Nov. 7, 1962, for Material Handling and Assembling Method, now Patent No. 3,204,337, to which reference is hereby made. The conveyer, generally indicated at 2, has spaced- Patented Mar. 12, 1968 apart wire gripping devices on its external edge which are described below and follows a closed circuit triangular path having sides 1, 3, 5. The Wires 4 are extracted from a bundle 8 and loaded onto the conveyer at a loading station 10 after which they travel along the top side 1 and along the sloping side or hypotenuse 3 of the conveyer path until they arrive at a release station indicated at 28. In the above-identified Long and Lovendusky application there is disclosed details of positioning wheels 12, 14, 18, 20, and 22 which position the two ends of the individual Wires at a predetermined distance from the path of the conveyer so that terminals T can be secured to the wire ends in terminal crimping presses 16, 24. These positioning wheels have gripping devices on. their peripheries which grasp each wire and pull it axially leftwardly or rightwardly, as the case may be, until its end is properly located relative to the conveyer path. Thus, the positioning wheel 12 moves a substantial portion of each individual wire rightwardly in FIGURE 1 and roughly positions the lefthand end of the wire at the proper distance from the conveyer path for application of a terminal in the applicator 16. Precise positioning of the lefthand end of each wire is subsequently achieved by means of a small positioning wheel 14. After application of the first terminal to the wire, the individual wires are moved leftwardly in FIGURE 1, first by a small positioning wheel 18 which moves the Wire a short distance leftwardly so that it can be gripped by the gripping devices on the second large positioning wheel 20 for rough alignment or positioning. Thereafter the third small positioning wheel 22 precisely positions the righthand end of the wire at the proper distance from the conveyer path for application of a terminal or connector in the applicator 24. The gripping devices on the positioning wheels and the manner in which these gripping devices are controlled is fully disclosed in the above-identified Long and Lovendusky application and need not be described in further detail here. It is sufficient to say at this point that after the individual Wires have passed the connector or terminal applicator 24, they can be released from the conveyer or removed from the conveyer since all of the required operations have been performed on their ends.

Since the individual wires are of limp material, they dangle under the influence of their own weight towards the floor over which the conveyer is mounted as indicated in the drawing. Thus, as the conveyer moves along the descending side 3 of the path, the dangling ends will first touch and then be laid out on the surface beneath the conveyer. When the individual wires reach the release station 28, they are released from the gripping devices on. the conveyer and are thus laid out on the surface. Since all of the wires undergo this same laying out procedure and all are released at the same location, that is at the release station 28, the succession of individual Wires will be neatly stacked in the container 30 which may be positioned below the conveyer itself.

FIGURE 2 shows details of the specific form of the invention which is incorporated into the lead making machine of the above-identified Long and Lovendusky application, the various positioning wheels, the crimping or terminal applicating devices, and the control devices of the above-mentioned application having been elimi nated in the interest of presenting a clear disclosure of the conveyer itself. In accordance with this embodiment, there is provided a frame plate 32 in the form of a right triangle which is supported vertically above the support surface by means of legs 36, and 38 which, at their upper ends are secured to the surface of the plate. The

conveyer 2 comprises a chain assembly (FIGURE 6) consisting of three individual identical chains in side-byside relationship 40, 42, and 44. Each chain has parallel pairs of connecting links secured at their ends by pins 48 to wire carrying links 50 having an outwardly facing notch with one sloping side 54 and one relatively straight side 52. When the three individual chains are positioned in side-by-side relationship as in FIGURE 6 the individual notches in the wire carrying links will thus define a single notch, the effective size of which will be dependent upon the relative position of the center chain 4-2 with respect to the outside chains 40, 44. As explained in my copending application, Ser. No. 253,716, filed Jan. 24, 1963, for Conveyer For Flexible Material, now Patent No. 3,240,312, it is desirable to be able to vary the effective size of these notches in the chain assembly in order to adapt the device to wires of varying diameters. For purposes of the instant discharge, it is sufhcient to say that the individual wires are received in the notches in the chain and held in position during travel of the conveyer along its path in a manner described below.

Conveyer 2 is moved along its triangular path by means of idler sprockets 56, 58 at the upper apices of the triangular path and a sprocket at on the right-hand side of the path in FIGURE 2, these sprockets comprising three individual sprocket plates each of which has teeth 'on its periphery for engagement with one of the individual chains. Motion is imparted to the chain by means of a drive sprocket 62 secured to a shaft 64 at the lower apex of the triangular path. A ratchet wheel 66 secured to the shaft 64 is periodically indexed by means of a reciprocable pawl 68 on the end of a connecting rod 70 which extends through a suitable housing and is connected at its upper end by means of a link 71 to a crank arm 72 on a continuously rotating shaft 74. It will be apparent that during each revolution of a shaft 74 the pawl 68 is reciprocated and the ratchet wheel and, therefore, the sprocket 62 is indexed thereby to move the chain assembly a short distance. Rotary motion may be imparted to the shaft '74 in any suitable manner, the above-identified Long and Lovendusky application disclosing a specific manner of driving the shaft in conjunction with the other devices positioned along the conveyer for working on the wire.

The conveyer chain assembly 2 is guided along the upper edge 1 of the triangular path by means of a groove 75 in a guide plate 76 which is secured to the upper edge of frame plate 32. A similar guide track device 78 is provided on the edge of the hypotenuse 3 of the frame plate. The individual lengths of wire are retained in their respective notches in the chain by means of resilient pressure pad means 80 in the form of a strip of a suitable plastic or other resilient material extending along and parallel to the chain. In the disclosed embodiment this strip of resilient material 80 is held or pinched in a notch in a bar 82. The bar 82 is, in turn, mounted in a guide plate 84 secured to a plate 86 extending parallel to the upper edge of the triangular frame. Plate 86 is secured to frame plate 32 by means of suitable C-shaped brackets 88. The conveyer chain is guided around the lefthand apex of the conveyer path in FIGURE 2 by means of sprocket 58 while a corner guide plate 90 having the resilient strip 80 mounted therein is provided to hold the individual wires in their notches during travel of the conveyer around this corner. A guide plate 92 having the resilient pressure pad material 80 mounted therein extends along the hypotenuse side of the frame plate and are maintained in place by brackets 94 by means of which they are secured to the frame plate. The plate )2 and the resilient pressure pad material extends up to a location close to the lowest apex of the triangular path so that the individual lengths of wire are automatically released when the individual notches pass the end 28 of the resilient pressure pad material.

The loading of the individual lengths of wire is achieved when the conveyer chain passes through a slot 93 in the bin 6 and beneath the bundle of wires which rest upon the upper edge of the chain. As explained in my co-pending application, an individual wire will fall into each of the notches in the chain and then be drawn from the bundle and through the elongated opening in the side of the trough. Advantageously, a plastic strip 96 is provided on the righthand side of the resilient pressure pad and the guide plate 84 in order to facilitate movement of the individual wires leftwardly in FIGURE 3 from the bundle until they are clamped in their notches in the chain by the pressure pad means.

It will be apparent that the wires will be stacked as they are released from the conveyer in substantial parallelism with each other regardless of their lengths so that no adjustments be made to the conveyer for wires of varying lengths. The descending side of the conveyer path should advantageously subtend an angle of about 45 with the surface beneath the. conveyer so that the Wires will be laid out evenly as the conveyer moves along the hypotenuse of its path. It will be apparent that this 45 descent section of the conveyer path could extend in either direction, that is either beneath the upper edge of the conveyer path as in FIGURE 2 or in the opposite direction and leftwardly in FIGURE 2.

Conveyers in accordance with the invention can be used in conjunction with automatic lead making machines, as disclosed in the above-identified Long and Lovendusky application, or under other circumstances where it is desired to convey individual lengths of flexible material.

Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art and various apparently different modifications and embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective against the prior art.

I claim:

1. A conveyer for relatively elongated lengths of limp material such as wire, the width of said conveyer being an insignificant fraction of the lengths of said material whereby said lengths dangle from the sides of said conveyer, said conveyer being movable along a predetermined path in a substantially vertical plane, a loading station and a release station, said release station being disposed adjacent to a horizontal datum plane and said loading station being above and remote from said datum plane, means for moving said conveyer along said path from said loading station to said release station, stationary retaining means extending parallel and adjacent to said conveyer from said loading station to said release station for holding said individual lengths of material on said conveyer during movement of said lengths from said loading station to said release station, said path being obliquely descend-- ing towards said datum plane from said loading station: to said release station whereby said individual lengths dangle towards said datum plane and are laid out in a bundle: substantially parallel to said conveyer plane on said datum plane beneath said obliquely descending conveyer path.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said con-- veyer path is generally triangular and has an obliquely descending side, said release station being located at the: intersection of said obliquely descending side and an adjacent side.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said path defines a right triangle in a vertical plane, one side of said triangle being horizontal and constituting the highest level of said path, said conveyer being movable downwardly along the hypotenuse of said triangle, and said release sta tion being located at the lower end of said hypotenuse.

4. The method of conveying and stacking relatively long lengths of limp material such as wire comprising the. steps of loading said lengths on a relatively narrow conveyer at a loading station, said lengths being dangled across the conveyer, the width of said conveyer being an insignificant fraction of the length of said lengths and said loading station being disposed above a datum level, feed ing said lengths axially across the conveyer until they are gripped adjacent to one end whereby said lengths dangle under their own weight, moving said conveyer along an obliquely descending path from said loading station to a release station whereby, said individual lengths are laid out on said datum level, and releasing said lengths at said release station whereby all of said lengths become oriented 10 approximately 90 degrees relative to their original position on the conveyer and are stacked in a neat pile at said release station.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 868,741 10/1907 Wendt 198-479 1,498,914 6/1924 Hoffman 198-160 3,062,390 11/1962 Schwalm et al 198-179 FOREIGN PATENTS 992,684 7/ 1951 France.

824,017 12/ 195 1 Germany.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primaly Examiner. I. E. OLDS, F. E. WERNER, Atvsistant Examiners. 

1. A CONVEYOR FOR RELATIVELY ELONGATED LENGTHS OF LIMP MATERIAL SUCH AS WIRE, THE WIDTH OF SAID CONVEYOR BEING AN INSIFNIFICANT FRACTION OF THE LENGTHS OF SAID MATERIAL WHEREBY SAID LENGTHS DANGLE FROM THE SIDES OF SAID CONVEYER, SAID CONVEYER BEING MOVABLE ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PLANE, A LOADING STATION AND A RELEASE STATION, SAID RELEASE STATION BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT TO A HORIZONTAL DATUM PLANE AND SAID LOADING STATION BEING ABOVE AND REMOTE FROM SAID DATUM PLANE, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CONVEYOR ALONG SAID PATH FROM SAID LOADING STATION TO SAID RELEASE STATION, STATIONARY RETAINING MEANS EXTENDING PARALLEL AND ADJACENT TO SAID CONVEYER FROM SAID LOADING STATION TO SAID RELEASE STATION FOR HOLDING SAID INDIVIDUAL LENGTHS OF MATERIAL ON SAID CONVEYOR DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID LENGTHS FROM SAID LOADING STATION TO SAID RELEASE STATION, SAID PATH BEING OBLIQUELY DESCENDING TOWARD SAID DATUM PLANE FROM SAID LOADING STATION TO SAID RELEASE STATION WHEREBY SAID INDIVIDUAL LENGTHS DANGLE TOWARDS SAID DATUM PLANE AND ARE LAID OUT IN A BUNDLE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID CONVEYOR PLANE ON SAID DATUM PLANE BENEATH SAID OBLIQUELY DESCENDING CONVEYOR PATH. 